2007 Edition

Administrative divisions

20 counties (zupanije, zupanija - singular) and 1 city* (grad - singular); Bjelovarsko-Bilogorska Zupanija, Brodsko-Posavska Zupanija, Dubrovacko-Neretvanska Zupanija, Istarska Zupanija, Karlovacka Zupanija, Koprivnicko-Krizevacka Zupanija, Krapinsko-Zagorska Zupanija, Licko-Senjska Zupanija, Medimurska Zupanija, Osjecko-Baranjska Zupanija, Pozesko-Slavonska Zupanija, Primorsko-Goranska Zupanija, Sibensko-Kninska Zupanija, Sisacko-Moslavacka Zupanija, Splitsko-Dalmatinska Zupanija, Varazdinska Zupanija, Viroviticko-Podravska Zupanija, Vukovarsko-Srijemska Zupanija, Zadarska Zupanija, Zagreb*, Zagrebacka Zupanija

Age structure

0-14 years: 16.2% (male 373,638/female 354,261) 15-64 years: 67% (male 1,497,958/female 1,515,314) 65 years and over: 16.8% (male 288,480/female 465,098) (2006 est.)

Agriculture - products

wheat, corn, sugar beets, sunflower seed, barley, alfalfa, clover, olives, citrus, grapes, soybeans, potatoes; livestock, dairy products

Airports

68 (2006)

Airports - with paved runways

over 3,047 m

2 2,438 to 3,047 m: 6 1,524 to 2,437 m: 2 914 to 1,523 m: 4

total

23

under 914 m

9 (2006)

Airports - with unpaved runways

total

45 1,524 to 2,437 m: 1 914 to 1,523 m: 7

under 914 m

37 (2006)

Area

land

56,414 sq km

total

56,542 sq km

water

128 sq km

Area - comparative

slightly smaller than West Virginia

Background

The lands that today comprise Croatia were part of the Austro-Hungarian Empire until the close of World War I. In 1918, the Croats, Serbs, and Slovenes formed a kingdom known after 1929 as Yugoslavia. Following World War II, Yugoslavia became a federal independent Communist state under the strong hand of Marshal TITO. Although Croatia declared its independence from Yugoslavia in 1991, it took four years of sporadic, but often bitter, fighting before occupying Serb armies were mostly cleared from Croatian lands. Under UN supervision, the last Serb-held enclave in eastern Slavonia was returned to Croatia in 1998. Geography Croatia

Birth rate

9.61 births/1,000 population (2006 est.)

Budget

expenditures

$19.06 billion; including capital expenditures of $NA (2006 est.)

revenues

$17.78 billion

Capital

daylight saving time

+1hr, begins last Sunday in March; ends last Sunday in October

geographic coordinates

45 48 N, 15 58 E

name

Zagreb

time difference

UTC+1 (6 hours ahead of Washington, DC during Standard Time)

Climate

Mediterranean and continental; continental climate predominant with hot summers and cold winters; mild winters, dry summers along coast

Coastline

5,835 km (mainland 1,777 km, islands 4,058 km)

Constitution

adopted on 22 December 1990; revised 2000, 2001

Country name

conventional long form

Republic of Croatia

conventional short form

Croatia

former

People's Republic of Croatia, Socialist Republic of Croatia

local long form

Republika Hrvatska

local short form

Hrvatska

Currency (code)

kuna (HRK)

Currency code

HRK

Current account balance

$-2.892 billion (2006 est.)

Death rate

11.48 deaths/1,000 population (2006 est.)

Debt - external

$33.09 billion (30 June 2006 est.)

Diplomatic representation from the US

chief of mission

Ambassador Robert A. BRADTKE

embassy

2 Thomas Jefferson Street, 10010 Zagreb

mailing address

use street address

telephone

[385] (1) 661-2200

Diplomatic representation in the US

chancery

2343 Massachusetts Avenue NW, Washington, DC 20008

chief of mission

Ambassador Neven JURICA

telephone

[1] (202) 588-5899

Disputes - international

discussions continue with Bosnia and Herzegovina over several small disputed sections of the boundary related to maritime access that hinders ratification of the 1999 border agreement; the Croatia-Slovenia land and maritime boundary agreement, which would have ceded most of Pirin Bay and maritime access to Slovenia and several villages to Croatia, remains un-ratified and in dispute; as a European Union peripheral state, neighboring Slovenia must conform to the strict Schengen border rules to curb illegal migration and commerce through southeastern Europe while encouraging close cross-border ties with Croatia

Distribution of family income - Gini index

29 (2001)

Economic aid - recipient

ODA, $166.5 million (2002)

Economy - overview

Before the dissolution of Yugoslavia, the Republic of Croatia, after Slovenia, was the most prosperous and industrialized area with a per capita output perhaps one-third above the Yugoslav average. The economy emerged from a mild recession in 2000 with tourism, banking, and public investments leading the way. Unemployment remains high, at about 17%, with structural factors slowing its decline. While macroeconomic stabilization has largely been achieved, structural reforms lag because of deep resistance on the part of the public and lack of strong support from politicians. Growth, while impressive at about 3% to 4% for the last several years, has been stimulated, in part, through high fiscal deficits and rapid credit growth. The EU accession process should accelerate fiscal and structural reform.

Electricity - consumption

16.53 billion kWh (2004)

Electricity - exports

600 million kWh (2004)

Electricity - imports

5.086 billion kWh (2004)

Electricity - production

12.95 billion kWh (2004)

Electricity - production by source

fossil fuel

33.6%

hydro

66%

nuclear

0%

other

0.4% (2001)

Elevation extremes

highest point

Dinara 1,830 m

lowest point

Adriatic Sea 0 m

Environment - current issues

air pollution (from metallurgical plants) and resulting acid rain is damaging the forests; coastal pollution from industrial and domestic waste; landmine removal and reconstruction of infrastructure consequent to 1992-95 civil strife

Environment - international agreements

party to

Air Pollution, Air Pollution-Sulfur 94, Biodiversity, Climate Change, Desertification, Endangered Species, Hazardous Wastes, Law of the Sea, Marine Dumping, Ozone Layer Protection, Ship Pollution, Wetlands, Whaling

signed, but not ratified

Air Pollution-Persistent Organic Pollutants, Climate Change-Kyoto Protocol

Ethnic groups

Croat 89.6%, Serb 4.5%, other 5.9% (including Bosniak, Hungarian, Slovene, Czech, and Roma) (2001 census)

Exchange rates

kuna per US dollar - 5.85506 (2006), 5.9473 (2005), 6.0358 (2004), 6.7035 (2003), 7.8687 (2002)

Executive branch

cabinet

Council of Ministers named by the prime minister and approved by the parliamentary Assembly

chief of state

President Stjepan (Stipe) MESIC (since 18 February 2000)

election results

Stjepan MESIC reelected president; percent of vote - Stjepan MESIC 66%, Jadranka KOSOR (HDZ) 34% in the second round

elections

president elected by popular vote for a five-year term (eligible for a second term); election last held 16 January 2005 (next to be held January 2010); the leader of the majority party or the leader of the majority coalition is usually appointed prime minister by the president and then approved by the Assembly

head of government

Prime Minister Ivo SANADER (since 9 December 2003); Deputy Prime Ministers Jadranka KOSOR (since 23 December 2003) and Damir POLANCEC (since 15 February 2005)

Exports

$11.17 billion f.o.b. (2006 est.)

Exports - commodities

transport equipment, textiles, chemicals, foodstuffs, fuels

Exports - partners

Italy 21.8%, Bosnia and Herzegovina 14.7%, Germany 10.7%, Slovenia 8.1%, Austria 7.3% (2005)

FAX

[1] (202) 588-8936

[385] (1) 661-2373

consulate(s) general

Chicago, Los Angeles, New York

Fiscal year

calendar year Communications Croatia

Flag description

three equal horizontal bands of red (top), white, and blue superimposed by the Croatian coat of arms (red and white checkered) Economy Croatia

GDP - composition by sector

agriculture

6.8%

industry

30.9%

services

62.3% (2006 est.)

GDP - per capita (PPP)

$13,200 (2006 est.)

GDP - real growth rate

4.4% (2006 est.)

GDP (official exchange rate)

$37.35 billion (2006 est.)

GDP (purchasing power parity)

$59.41 billion (2006 est.)

Geographic coordinates

45 10 N, 15 30 E

Geography - note

controls most land routes from Western Europe to Aegean Sea and Turkish Straits; the vast majority of Adriatic Sea islands lie off the coast of Croatia - some 1,200 islands, islets, ridges, and rocks People Croatia

Government type

presidential/parliamentary democracy

Heliports

2 (2006)

HIV/AIDS - adult prevalence rate

less than 0.1% (2001 est.)

HIV/AIDS - deaths

less than 10 (2001 est.)

HIV/AIDS - people living with HIV/AIDS

200 (2001 est.)

Household income or consumption by percentage share

highest 10%

24.5% (2003 est.)

lowest 10%

3.4%

IDPs

4,200-7,000 (Croats and Serbs displaced in 1992-95 war) (2006)

Illicit drugs

transit point along the Balkan route for Southwest Asian heroin to Western Europe; has been used as a transit point for maritime shipments of South American cocaine bound for Western Europe This page was last updated on 8 February, 2007

Imports

$21.79 billion f.o.b. (2006 est.)

Imports - commodities

machinery, transport and electrical equipment; chemicals, fuels and lubricants; foodstuffs

Imports - partners

Italy 15.9%, Germany 14.9%, Russia 9.1%, Slovenia 6.8%, Austria 5.8%, China 4.7%, France 4.2% (2005)

Independence

25 June 1991 (from Yugoslavia)

Industrial production growth rate

5% (2006 est.)

Industries

chemicals and plastics, machine tools, fabricated metal, electronics, pig iron and rolled steel products, aluminum, paper, wood products, construction materials, textiles, shipbuilding, petroleum and petroleum refining, food and beverages, tourism

Infant mortality rate

female

6.74 deaths/1,000 live births (2006 est.)

male

6.7 deaths/1,000 live births

total

6.72 deaths/1,000 live births

Inflation rate (consumer prices)

3.4% (2006 est.)

International organization participation

ACCT (observer), BIS, BSEC (observer), CE, CEI, EAPC, EBRD, FAO, IADB, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICC, ICCt, ICRM, IDA, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, IHO, ILO, IMF, IMO, Interpol, IOC, IOM, IPU, ISO, ITU, ITUC, MIGA, MINURSO, MINUSTAH, NAM (observer), NSG, OAS (observer), OIF (observer), OPCW, OSCE, PCA, PFP, SECI, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNFICYP, UNIDO, UNMEE, UNMIL, UNMIS, UNMOGIP, UNOCI, UNOMIG, UNWTO, UPU, WCO, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WTO, ZC

Internet country code

.hr

Internet hosts

18,825 (2006)

Internet Service Providers (ISPs)

9 (2000)

Internet users

1,451,100 (2005) Transportation Croatia

Investment (gross fixed)

28.5% of GDP (2006 est.)

Irrigated land

110 sq km (2003)

Judicial branch

Supreme Court; Constitutional Court; judges for both courts appointed for eight-year terms by the Judicial Council of the Republic, which is elected by the Assembly

Labor force

1.72 million (2006 est.)

Labor force - by occupation

agriculture

2.7%

industry

32.8%

services

64.5% (2004)

Land boundaries

border countries

Bosnia and Herzegovina 932 km, Hungary 329 km, Serbia 241 km, Montenegro 25 km, Slovenia 670 km

total

2,197 km

Land use

arable land

25.82%

other

71.99% (2005)

permanent crops

2.19%

Languages

Croatian 96.1%, Serbian 1%, other and undesignated 2.9% (including Italian, Hungarian, Czech, Slovak, and German) (2001 census)

Legal system

based on civil law system

Legislative branch

unicameral Assembly or Sabor (152 seats; note - one seat was added in the November 2003 parliamentary elections; members elected from party lists by popular vote to serve four-year terms)

election results

percent of vote by party - NA; number of seats by party - HDZ 63, SDP 34, HNS 11, HSS 9, HSP 7, IDS 4, HDSSB 3, HSLS 3, HSU 3, SDSS 3, other 12

elections

last held 23 November 2003 (next to be held in 2007)

note

minority government coalition - HDZ, DC, HSLS, HSU, SDSS; note - the Democratic Center party or DC withdrew from the government in Febuary 2006

Life expectancy at birth

female

78.53 years (2006 est.)

male

71.03 years

total population

74.68 years

Literacy

definition

age 15 and over can read and write

female

97.8% (2003 est.) Government Croatia

male

99.4%

total population

98.5%

Location

Southeastern Europe, bordering the Adriatic Sea, between Bosnia and Herzegovina and Slovenia

Manpower available for military service

females age 18-49

1,008,511 (2005 est.)

males age 18-49

1,005,058

Manpower fit for military service

females age 18-49

823,611 (2005 est.)

males age 18-49

725,914

Manpower reaching military service age annually

females age 18-49

27,897 (2005 est.)

males age 18-49

29,020

Map references

Europe

Maritime claims

continental shelf

200-m depth or to the depth of exploitation

territorial sea

12 nm

Median age

female

42.1 years (2006 est.)

male

38.3 years

total

40.3 years

Merchant marine

by type

bulk carrier 22, cargo 11, chemical tanker 3, passenger/cargo 27, petroleum tanker 5, refrigerated cargo 1, roll on/roll off 3

registered in other countries

36 (Belize 1, Cyprus 2, Liberia 7, Malta 10, Marshall Islands 2, Panama 5, Saint Vincent and the Grenadines 9) (2006)

total

72 ships (1000 GRT or over) 1,079,286 GRT/1,724,698 DWT

Military branches

Ground Forces (Hrvatska Kopnena Vojska, HKoV), Naval Forces (Hrvatska Ratna Mornarica, HRM), Air and Air Defense Forces (Hrvatsko Ratno Zrakoplovstvo i Protuzrakoplovna Obrana, HRZiPZO), Joint Education and Training Command, Logistics Command; Military Police Force supports each of the three Croatian military forces (2006)

Military expenditures - dollar figure

$620 million (2004)

Military expenditures - percent of GDP

2.39% (2002 est.) Transnational Issues Croatia

Military service age and obligation

18 years of age for compulsory military service, with six-month service obligation; 16 years of age with consent for voluntary service (December 2004)

National holiday

Independence Day, 8 October (1991); note - 25 June 1991 is the day the Croatian Parliament voted for independence; following a three-month moratorium to allow the European Community to solve the Yugoslav crisis peacefully, Parliament adopted a decision on 8 October 1991 to sever constitutional relations with Yugoslavia

Nationality

adjective

Croatian

noun

Croat(s), Croatian(s)

Natural gas - consumption

2.75 billion cu m (2004 est.)

Natural gas - exports

0 cu m (2004 est.)

Natural gas - imports

1.11 billion cu m (2004 est.)

Natural gas - production

1.64 billion cu m (2004 est.)

Natural gas - proved reserves

24.64 billion cu m (1 January 2005 est.)

Natural hazards

destructive earthquakes

Natural resources

oil, some coal, bauxite, low-grade iron ore, calcium, gypsum, natural asphalt, silica, mica, clays, salt, hydropower

Net migration rate

1.58 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2006 est.)

Oil - consumption

93,000 bbl/day (2004 est.)

Oil - exports

NA bbl/day (2001)

Oil - imports

NA bbl/day (2001)

Oil - production

20,500 bbl/day (2005 est.)

Oil - proved reserves

93.6 million bbl (1 January 2002)

Pipelines

gas 1,340 km; oil 583 km (2006)

Political parties and leaders

Croatian Bloc or HB [Ivic PASALIC]; Croatian Christian Democratic Union or HKDU [Anto KOVACEVIC]; Croatian Democratic Congress of Slavonia and Baranja or HDSSB [Branimir GLAVAS]; Croatian Democratic Union or HDZ [Ivo SANADER]; Croatian Party of Rights or HSP [Anto DJAPIC]; Croatian Peasant Party or HSS [Josip FRISCIC]; Croatian Pensioner Party or HSU [Vladimir JORDAN]; Croatian People's Party or HNS [Vesna PUSIC] (in 2005 party merged with Libra to become Croatian People's Party-Liberal Democrats or NS-LD [Vesna PUSIC]); Croatian Social Liberal Party or HSLS [Djurdja ADLESIC]; Croatian True Revival Party or HIP [Miroslav TUDJMAN]; Democratic Centre or DC [Vesna SKARE-OZBOLT]; Independent Democratic Serb Party or SDSS [Vojislav STANIMIROVIC]; Istrian Democratic Assembly or IDS [Ivan JAKOVCIC]; Social Democratic Party of Croatia or SDP [Ivica RACAN]

Political pressure groups and leaders

NA

Population

4,494,749 (July 2006 est.)

Population below poverty line

11% (2003)

Population growth rate

-0.03% (2006 est.)

Ports and terminals

Omisalj, Ploce, Rijeka, Sibenik, Vukovar (on Danube) Military Croatia

Public debt

56.2% of GDP (2006 est.)

Radio broadcast stations

AM 16, FM 98, shortwave 5 (1999)

Radios

1.51 million (1997)

Railways

standard gauge

2,726 km 1.435-m gauge (1,199 km electrified) (2005)

total

2,726 km

Religions

Roman Catholic 87.8%, Orthodox 4.4%, other Christian 0.4%, Muslim 1.3%, other and unspecified 0.9%, none 5.2% (2001 census)

Reserves of foreign exchange and gold

$11.07 billion (2006 est.)

Roadways

paved

24,186 km (including 742 km of expressways)

total

28,344 km

unpaved

4,158 km (2004)

Sex ratio

at birth

1.06 male(s)/female

total population

0.93 male(s)/female (2006 est.)

under 15 years

1.05 male(s)/female 15-64 years: 0.99 male(s)/female 65 years and over: 0.62 male(s)/female

Suffrage

18 years of age; universal (16 years of age, if employed)

Telephone system

domestic

reconstruction plan calls for replacement of all analog circuits with digital and enlarging the network; a backup will be included in the plan for the main trunk

general assessment

NA

international

country code - 385; digital international service is provided through the main switch in Zagreb; Croatia participates in the Trans-Asia-Europe (TEL) fiber-optic project, which consists of two fiber-optic trunk connections with Slovenia and a fiber-optic trunk line from Rijeka to Split and Dubrovnik; Croatia is also investing in ADRIA 1, a joint fiber-optic project with Germany, Albania, and Greece

Telephones - main lines in use

1,889,500 (2005)

Telephones - mobile cellular

2.984 million (2005)

Television broadcast stations

36 (plus 321 repeaters) (September 1995)

Televisions

1.22 million (1997)

Terrain

geographically diverse; flat plains along Hungarian border, low mountains and highlands near Adriatic coastline and islands

Total fertility rate

1.4 children born/woman (2006 est.)

Unemployment rate

17.2% official rate; labor force surveys indicate unemployment around 14% (2006 est.)

Waterways

785 km (2006)